Tying you to this World
by a.little.jem
Summary: Can Peter convince an injured Edmund to hold on long enough for Lucy and her cordial? Set during the Golden Age, LWW. No Slash.


**This is my first Narnia fanfiction. I have loved Narnia for almost my whole life. It was the first chapter book that I picked up and read. I have never stopped reading since. Despite this fact, I never read any Narnia fanfiction until a couple of months ago. I finally decided to give it a shot. **

**I got the idea from a story by WillowDryad, who is a wonderful writer. I highly recommend their work. **

**Thank you in advance for reading. I hope that you enjoy it.**

Frantically the High King throws himself down into the mud beside his brother. Edmund is laying on his side and the shuttering gasps that run through him chill Peter's heart.

The hands that are now as gentle as they were deadly in battle carefully turn over the younger king.

Edmund's helmet seems to have fallen off during the battle, so the paleness of his face is startling to behold. The young king's eyes are closed and for a moment his older brother sees flashes of the fields of Beruna, flashes that send a renewed bolt of fear though his being.

_I can't have lost him. _

Edmund winces in pain at the movement, pushing away Peter's terror. His brother has not left him yet. Peter sends a quick prayer to the Great Lion, for he had feared the worse when he had heard Edmund cry out across the battlefield.

Their enemies must have heard of that the kings' strength came from fighting side by side, for they had forced the brothers apart from the beginning. Peter had desperately tried to fight his way back to Edmund, but he had not been able to make it before a hag had driven a spear into his king's side.

The noise of the battle which had been deafening before faded away at the shear pain that rang through Edmund's voice. That sound alone gave Peter all the strength he needed to force his way back to his brother. No beast had been able to stop the older brother's rush of fear and anger. Many had fled at the roar that had come from the lion hearted High King, at the sight of his beloved brother falling to the ground.

Returning his attention to his brother's health, Peter runs his hands over his brother armour, trying to find the source of the pain. There it is, a stab wound, jagged and deep though surprisingly small in size. Yet it is bleeding quickly, his younger brother's life draining onto the grass. With firm hands that he is surprised to find steady, Peter presses down onto the wound.

Edmund yelps in pain, his body shaking in an attempt not to cry.

"I'm sorry Ed. I have to." Peter states desperate for the younger one to understand why he is inflicting more hurt.

Edmund's eyes open for the first time and Peter sucks in a gasp. His brother's eyes are full of hurt and terror, and what truly makes Peter's blood run cold, hopelessness. Edmund's eyes are those of someone who does not think they will last through the hour.

_Nononononono._ This one word fills Peter's mind in a cry that bubbles up from the deepest place inside his heart, where all his greatest fears are housed. Without thinking he presses down on the hole harder, trying in vain to bind his brother to this world that he has already decided to abandon.

"Please Ed, you can't. Eddie you need to hold on, Lucy is on her way." Peter's voice breaks, overcome with images of life without his second half.

Some more rational part of Peter's mind tells him that he should use every last moment he may have. That he should tell his brother how proud of him he is. How proud of the king that Edmund has become, a king full of sound judgement. One who is calm in the face of trial.

Peter knows that he should tell Edmund how grateful he is to be his brother. Edmund should know that he has always loved him, even when they were at odds. Even when he had thought Edmund was lost to him forever.

The High Kings knows that these are the words that he should say but they do not come. He cannot force himself to say goodbye, to make it too final to bear. So all he can manage is a whispered, "Please Eddie."

Despite the turmoil that must be dancing across his king's face, Edmund does not break his stare and the expression in his eyes does not change. It is as if he does not believe that he has the power to hold on until Lucy can arrive, to stay and endure the sharp waves of fire running up his side. Instead the younger king lays his head back and allows his eyes to close.

Peter frantically tries to think of a way to make his brother fight. His heart cries out at the thought of Edmund breathing his last with Peter helpless at his side.

"Please Edmund, don't leave us. Don't leave me, Eddie. Narnia won't make it without you. I won't make it."

The words tumble out of Peter so quickly that he does not have the time to question the truth in them. Yet as soon as they are spoken, he knows that they cannot be rebuked. Aslan placed four thrones in Cair Paravel for a reason, their reign will fall with the loss of one.

Edmund's deep brown eyes snap open, and lock onto the blue ones he knows so well. He must find the same truth that Peter cannot deny in his gaze because he grimaces in pain and closes his eyes again. This time though, not in defeat but in a struggle to hold on.

The flare of hope that bursts to life in Peter's chest, brings with in a litany of words of comfort and love. Peter leans over his brother, shielding him from the world around him as the words pore from him. Edmund will hold on now for the sake of his family, but he only has so much time and the injury is grave. A silent plea for his sister to hurry and make it in time is raised to Aslan.

The older boy watches his dear brother's face for a moment, the younger one's eyes remaining squeezed shut against the world of blood and steel that is before him.

He reaches out his hand to cup the sweat misted cheeks with as much affection as he can put into the simple act. In almost a whisper Peter says, "hold onto me Edmund. My strength is your strength." Edmund slowly lifts his head to gaze at Peter, and the older king sees love reflected there.

A weak voice, which reminds Peter of the small child Edmund once was, asks, "truly Peter?"

"Always," is the only answer needed.

Peter cards his fingers through the mess of dark damp hair, tenderly brushing away the few stray pieces that have been know to fall into Edmund's eyes.

All the while Edmund watches his brother, drinking in Peter's presence and strength, making it his own. Peter steadily looks back, hoping that Edmund can see the love in his face and latch onto it.

A cry of joy is raised by the nearby soldiers, whose presence up to this moment had been completely lost to the two brother kings. Peter raises his head in time to see Lucy breaks through the crowd, the crystal bottle carrying their salvation glinting in the sunlight.

Her darling face is streaked with tears and Peter's realizes not for the first time that his sister is too young to see such battle injuries. He pushes aside the sudden need to take Lucy into his arms and shield her from all the blood and pain of this part of ruling a country. For though Lucy has evidence of weeping, her face is set in fiery determination. Her brother will not die on this field, her valiant little heart will not allow him to.

She unstops the bottle, giving her brother the life saving elixir with an efficiency of one who has saved many lives in this manner before.

All the pain and tension flee from Edmund and for an instance Peter believes that Lucy has come too late. Slowly Edmund pulls in a breath so deep that Peter and Lucy both feel that it has filled their lungs as well. The young king leans back against the ground, sending a small smile of thanks towards the youngest of the monarchs.

With her usual exuberance, Lucy throws herself against Edmund's chest, burrowing her fair head into his shoulder. Peter watches as her body shakes with what seemed to be a mixture of sobs and laughter.

The High King sits back, lifting his hands to reveal blessedly whole skin underneath. He quietly watches his younger siblings for a moment, suddenly feeling empty now that the contact with them has been broken. Though he knows that Edmund is now safe, Peter has trouble pushing away the fear that if he but looks away, his family will be ripped apart.

"Pete?" A small almost timid voice breaks through his thoughts.

Peter looked down to see Edmund gazing a him with a worried expression. It was only then that Peter notices the tears that had been running down his face for only Aslan knows how long.

It had been too close this time. His brother's life balanced between this world and the next, everything coming down to what could have been their last precious minutes. What would Peter have been able to do if Lucy had been too late? The very thought drove the fear deeper into his soul forcing a sob to rise to the surface.

Edmund slowly holds out his hand in a gesture that Peter himself had done for his frightened siblings on many dark nightmare filled nights. Ignoring the soldiers who are watching, the king gives up all act of bravery and collapses into his brothers open arms.

The three Pevensies sit this way for a long while, each holding onto the youngest boy as if he was about to disappear and he keeping the pieces of his siblings' heart together with every breath he takes.

Once she has regained composure, Lucy sits up brushing her blond hair away from her face. "I should go back to Cair as quick as I can. I'm sure that Susan is beside herself with worry." Lucy smiled a mischievous grin. "If I don't hurry, she may just decide to bring your bed out here so she can begin nursing you back to health."

Edmund rolled his eyes and wrinkles his nose is disgust, a sight which seems wonderful to Peter for he had feared to never see it again.

"I don't see why she bothers, we all know that your cordial brings one back to complete health. All that bed rest will do is make me irritable." Edmund grumbles, though the look on his face tells that he may not be opposed to some of his older sister's care.

Peter chuckles as Lucy bounds off, giggles trailing behind her. The chuckle dies though when he glimpses his hands still stained with his brother's blood. He begins to wring his hands in an effort to wipe the colour and memory away. The sobs which had died down while in Edmund's arms, begin to shutter through him again.

_It was too close. Next time you may not be as lucky._

A strong pale hand covers his own and grips them tightly. "It's alright Peter. I'm here. I'm safe." Edmund speaks in the same tone that Peter had used to hold his brother to this world moments ago. For Peter had always known that the things that Edmund would never stop fighting for were Aslan, Narnia and most of all his family.

Edmund was a lion when it came to those he loved and felt that he had to protect. _Perhaps it is the one trait that each of the Pevensies shared._ Peter smiles at the memory of his siblings jumping to his rescue at an ambassadors meeting turned sour. They had been a frightening sight that day, each one with the fire in their eyes directed at the poor sap who had threatened the High King.

"Your strength is my strength." Edmund breaks through the fond memory. Peter turned to meet eyes full of tears that are threatening to fall. His brother's voice no longer weak or in pain, now it rings out loud and clear filling both of their souls.

Tears still silently tracking down his cheeks, Peter squeezes his hand. Showing Edmund that he understands the pledge that they had made each other that very day.

"Always," he answers with a warm smile finally reaching his eyes.

**Thanks -jem.**


End file.
